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Plasmodiophora brassicae

chromist

Quick Summary

Plasmodiophora brassicae is a funguslike soil pathogen that causes clubroot, a disease affecting plants in the mustard family, such as cabbage and broccoli. This pathogen can survive in soil for over a decade and spreads through various means, including diseased transplants and contaminated equipment.12

Clubroot disease causes affected plants to become stunted and yellowed, wilting during hot days and recovering at night. The roots develop abnormal swellings or "clubs". The disease thrives in cool, poorly drained, and acidic to neutral soils. Prevention strategies include using disease-free transplants, planting in clean soil, applying hydrated lime, using appropriate fungicides, and planting resistant varieties. Plasmodiophora brassicae belongs to the phylum Plasmodiophoromycota, a group of endoparasitic slime molds within the kingdom Chromista.123

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